Pet safety restraining belt for use in a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus are provided for enabling a safe and secure environment for a pet traveling in a vehicle during a collision or sudden breaking of the vehicle by using a seat belt system to flexibly restrain the pet with a safety restrainer or a detachable safety belt. In one embodiment, a safety restrainer may secure a pet in a vehicle having a seat belt with a first seat belt prong that latches into a first seat belt buckle. The safety restrainer may comprise a restraint assembly including a restraint strap removably couplable to a body portion of the pet. The restraint assembly may be positionable about the body of the pet and the restrain strap positionable between a pair of fore legs and a pair of hind legs of the pet. The restraint strap may include a first strap end and a second strap end being releasably couplable to each other such that the restraint strap forms a loop having a hole when the first and second strap ends are releasably coupled together. The safety restrainer may further comprise a harness coupled to the restraint assembly. The harness may be releasably couplable to the seat belt of the vehicle for flexibly restraining the pet. The harness may include a first harness end and a second harness end, wherein the first harness end having a second seat belt buckle for releasably coupling to the first seat belt prong and the second harness end having a second seat belt prong for releasably coupling to the first seat belt buckle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a safety restrainer for use in avehicle for securing a pet and more particularly pertains to pet safetyfor controllably restraining a pet during a collision or sudden brakingwhen traveling in the vehicle having a seat belt with a buckle and aprong.

2. Description of the Related Art

Pet ownership is on the rise and so is their need for wellbeing, healthand safety. According to a 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey by theAmerican Pet Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA), 63% of UnitedStates (U.S.) households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 millionshomes. Breakdown of pet ownership in the U.S. according to the 2007-2008National Pet Owners Survey: number of U.S. households that own a pet(millions) as cat is 38.4 and dog is 44.8. In 1988, the first year thesurvey was conducted, 56% of U.S. households owned a pet as compared to63% in 2006.

People all over the world, across the continents, regions, countries,religions pamper them. We bring them wherever we go. We surprise themwith something new on special occasions. They now even get holidaypresents. They are our pets!

From high-end items to high-tech items, products for our companionanimals now extend beyond traditional necessities. The American PetProduct Manufacturers Association (APPMA) published top pet producttrends for 2007. According to this new trend, more and more companiestraditionally know for human products are going to the dogs, and cats,and reptiles. Big name companies including like Paul Mitchell, OmahaSteaks, Origins, Harley Davidson and Old Navy are now offering lines ofpet products ranging from dog shampoo, pet attire, and name-brand toysto gourmet treats and food.

Many hotels across the country are adopting pet friendly policies.Several chains have announced new pet-friendly policies that includeeverything from oversized pet pillows, plush doggie robes, to check-ingift packages that include a pet toy, dog treat, ID tag, bone and turndown treat. Some even have a licensed dog masseuse on staff.

Shopping for pet products is becoming easier than ever with anincreasing variety of retail outlets now selling pet products. Rightalong side fertilizer and shovels, shoppers can now find pet productssuch as doggie doors and yellow lawn spot removers sold at many lawn andgarden stores, nurseries, and major home improvement stores includingHome Depot.

High-end items to spoil companion animals are must-haves for pet ownersthat spare no expense to please their furry, feathered and finned bestfriends. Items include faux mink coats for cold weather outings,feathered French day beds for afternoon naps, designer bird cages,botanical fragrances and to top it all off, a rhinestone tiara!

Pet-owners take grooming one step beyond a haircut, a quick bath and anail trim. Mouthwash and an electric toothbrush for canines are routinesteps in a beauty session for some pooches. Birds receive dailypedicures with special cage perches, while others enjoy manicurescomplete with nail polish. Pet-owning homes stay cleaner with automatic,self-flushing litter boxes, cleaning cloths for muddy paws that mimictraditional baby wipes, and scented gel air fresheners to keep roomsfree of pet odors.

Today's pet foods include complete and balanced diets that tantalize ourpets' taste buds and satisfy their tummies. Formulas for puppies andkittens, specialized meals for reptiles, birds and fish and diets forsenior pets ensure a long and healthy life for our beloved companions.

High-tech products including computerized identification tags, digitalaquarium kits, automatic doors and feeders, enhanced reptile terrariumlighting systems and touch-activated toys help pet-owners take care ofcompanion animals with ease and precision.

As pet owners meditate in yoga class, cats relieve stress by frolickingin a toy gym or relaxing in a feline spa before enjoying herbal catnippackaged in a tea bag. Dogs sip fresh water from flowing fountains aftera soothing rub with a doggie massager.

Products designed with convenience in mind lead this trend. Programmablefeeding and drinking systems, automatic and battery-operated toys,self-cleaning litter boxes and self-warming pet mats let pets virtuallycare for themselves!

Faux mink coats, hipster lumberjack vests, designer plaid jackets,matching jeweled and leather collar and leash sets, Halloween costumes,and holiday outfits keep pets in fashion throughout the year. Upscaleleather carriers complete with a cell phone and water bottle holder arethe perfect accessories to keep the pet owner in style as well.

Whether it's a quick trip to the supermarket or a long ride to thebeach, companion animals are now traveling animals too. Buckled up in aharness, seat belt system or a portable carrier, these pets stay safeand secure while on the road. Food and water along with safety suppliesare on hand in all-in-one kits, waste disposal systems make for easyclean-up on quick stops and motion sickness aids are available too.

From monogrammed sweaters and personalized food and water bowls todigitized collar tags and hand-made treats, owners embrace their pets astrue members of the American family celebrating their fluffy, finned andfeathered companions with their very own belongings.

Pets provide us with many health benefits. For example, pets help tolower blood pressure. A recent study at the State University of New Yorkat Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a cat or doghad lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did thosewho did not own a pet. (Dr. Karen Allen, State University of New York atBuffalo). Additionally, pets help to reduce stress as walking with a pethelps to sooth nerves and offers instant relaxation. Studies conductedworldwide have shown that the impact of a stressful situation is lesseron pet owners, especially males, than on those who do not own a pet.(Josephine M. Wills, Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, United Kingdom).Pets also help to prevent heart disease because pets provide people withfaithful companionship, research shows they may also provide theirowners with greater psychological stability, thus a measure ofprotection from heart disease. (National Institute of Health TechnologyAssessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets). In addition, pets help tolower health care costs. People with pets actually make fewer doctorvisits, especially for non-serious medical conditions. (NationalInstitute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits ofPets). Finally, pets help to fight depression. Pets help fightdepression and loneliness, promoting an interest in life. When seniorsface adversity or trauma, affection from pets takes on great meaning.Their bonding behavior can foster a sense of security. (Between Pets andPeople: The Importance of Animal Companionship).

For pet safety during their travel in a vehicle, use of a variety of petcontainers or harnesses types and designs is known in the prior art.Several of these known pet containers or harnesses comprise familiar,expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding themyriad of designs encompassed by the many of such pet containers orharnesses which have been devised to fulfill numerous objectives andrequirements associated with pet travel in a vehicle.

While these solutions fulfill their respective, particular objectivesand requirements, many known pet restraining container or harnesssystems fail to disclose a way for easier use in a vehicle for safelysecuring a pet. More particularly, such known solutions do not enable asafe and secure environment for a pet traveling in a vehicle during acollision of the vehicle as is otherwise available to human occupants ofthe vehicle. When the pet is traveling within the vehicle, these knownsolutions to the pet safety during their travel in a vehicle fail tosafely and controllably restrain a pet during a collision or suddenbreaking of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or todelineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to presentsome concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is discussed later.

The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing,the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a safety restrainer isprovided for securing a pet in a vehicle having a seat belt with a firstseat belt prong to latch into a first seat belt buckle. The safetyrestrainer may comprise a restraint assembly including a restraint strapremovably couplable to a body portion of the pet. The restraint assemblymay be positionable about the body of the pet and the restrain strappositionable between a pair of fore legs and a pair of hind legs of thepet. The restraint strap may include a first strap end and a secondstrap end being releasably couplable to each other such that therestraint strap forms a loop having a hole when the first and secondstrap ends are releasably coupled together. The safety restrainer mayfurther comprise a harness coupled to the restraint assembly. Theharness may be releasably couplable to the seat belt of the vehicle forflexibly restraining the pet. The harness may include a first harnessend and a second harness end, wherein the first harness end having asecond seat belt buckle for releasably coupling to the first seat beltprong and the second harness end having a second seat belt prong forreleasably coupling to the first seat belt buckle.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a detachable safety beltis provided for use in a vehicle having a seat belt system including afirst buckle and a first prong to securely restrain a pet. Thedetachable safety belt may comprise a restraint strap removablycouplable to the torso of the pet. The restraint strap may define acover portion of the restraint strap to wrap around a body portion ofthe pet for restricting movement of the restraint strap on the torso ofthe pet in response to an impact force that the vehicle to experienceduring at least one of a collision of the vehicle or braking of thevehicle. The safety belt may further comprise a harness coupled to therestraint strap, the harness having a second buckle and a second prongto releasably couple to the first prong and first buckle of the seatbelt system respectively for controllably restraining movement of thebody of the pet in response to the impact force.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of enablinga safe and secure environment for a pet within a vehicle having a seatbelt with a first seat belt prong to latch into a first seat belt buckleis provided. The method comprises providing a restraint assemblyincluding a restraint strap removably couplable to a body portion of thepet, the restraint strap having a first strap end and a second strap endbeing releasably couplable to each other. The method further comprisesproviding a harness coupled to the restraint assembly, the harnessreleasably couplable to the seat belt of the vehicle for flexiblyrestraining the pet, the harness having a first harness end and a secondharness end, wherein the first harness end having a second seat beltbuckle for releasably coupling to the first seat belt prong and thesecond harness end having a second seat belt prong for releasablycoupling to the first seat belt buckle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a safety restrainer for securing a petin a vehicle having a seat belt with a first seat belt prong to latchinto a first seat belt buckle in accordance with one exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B schematically illustrates a safety belt for use in a vehiclehaving a seat belt system including a first buckle and a first prong tosecurely restrain a pet consistent with one illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the safety belt for use in a vehiclehaving a seat belt system including a first buckle and a first prong tosecurely restrain a pet during a collision of the vehicle and/or suddenbraking of the vehicle consistent with one illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a stylized representation of a method of enabling asafe and secure environment for a pet within a vehicle having a seatbelt with a first seat belt prong that latches into a first seat beltbuckle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that the description herein of specificembodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In theinterest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation aredescribed in this specification. It will of course be appreciated thatin the development of any such actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

Generally, a method and apparatus are provided for restraining a pet bysafely securing the same within a vehicle according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. More particularly, a safety restrainer isdescribed for controllably restraining a pet during a collision orsudden braking when traveling in the vehicle having a seat belt with abuckle and a prong. Such a pet restraining harness system arrangementmay be utilized for restraining a pet traveling in a vehicle having aseat belt with a buckle and a prong consistent with one embodiment ofthe present invention. The general purpose of the embodiments of thepresent invention will be described subsequently in greater detail. Inthis respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventionin detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a safety petrestraining system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured andmarketed. Embodiments of the present invention may also provide a safetypet restraining system which is of a durable and reliable construction.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a safety petrestraining system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacturewith regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is thensusceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, therebymaking such safety pet restraining system economically available to thebuying public. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a safetypet restraining system which provides in the systems and methods of theprior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneouslyovercoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.Embodiments of the present invention may provide a safety petrestraining system for restraining a pet traveling in a vehicle having aseat belt with a buckle and a prong. Embodiments of the presentinvention may provide a safety pet restraining system that restrictsmovement of a pet in the vehicle making transporting a pet moreenjoyable.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a safety belt forprotecting a pet traveling in a vehicle that is involved in a collision.The pet is secured to the interior of the vehicle preventing the petfrom being injured by being thrown about the interior of the vehicle orfrom being thrown from the vehicle. The present invention also protectsa passenger traveling in the vehicle from being injured by a pet that isthrown about the interior of the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a safety restrainer 100 is illustrated forsecuring a pet in a vehicle having a seat belt (not shown) with a firstseat belt prong that latches into a first seat belt buckle in accordancewith one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The safetyrestrainer 100 may comprise a restraint assembly 105 including arestraint strap 110 removably couplable to a body portion (not shown) ofthe pet. The restraint assembly 105 may be positionable about the bodyof the pet and the restrain strap 110 positionable between a pair offore legs and a pair of hind legs of the pet. A suitable structural formof a restraint assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,749,entitled “Pet Restraining Harness System” and is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

The restraint strap 110 may include a first strap end 115(1) and asecond strap end 115(2) being releasably couplable to each other suchthat the restraint strap 110 forms a loop having a hole when the firstand second strap ends 115 (1,2) are releasably coupled together. Thesafety restrainer 100 may further comprise a harness 120 coupled to therestraint assembly. The harness 120 may be releasably couplable to theseat belt of the vehicle for flexibly restraining the pet. The harness120 may include a first harness end 125(1) and a second harness end125(2). The first harness end 125(1) having a second seat belt buckle130(1) for releasably coupling to the first seat belt prong (not shown)and the second harness end 125(2) having a second seat belt prong 130(2)for releasably coupling to the first seat belt buckle (not shown). Asuitable structural form of a restraint strap and a harness is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,548, entitled “Vehicular Passenger RestraintSystems” and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Turning now to FIG. 1B, a safety belt 100 a is schematically illustratedfor use in a vehicle having a seat belt system (not shown) including afirst buckle and a first prong to securely restrain a pet during acollision of the vehicle and/or sudden braking of the vehicle consistentwith one illustrative embodiment of the present invention. For thesafety restrainer 100 or the safety belt 100 a, the second seat beltbuckle 130(2) to couple to a leash 135 for flexibly restricting movementof the pet in the vehicle when coupled to the first seat belt prong.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first strapend 115(1) of a restraint strap 110 a may comprise an adjustablecoupling member 140(1) and the second strap end 115(2) may comprise asecuring member 140(2) for coupling each of the strap ends of therestraint strap 110 a together such that the restraint strap 110 a isadjustably restrictable about the body of the pet. In this way, therestraint strap 110 a may safely protect the pet while the safety belt100 a controllably restrains movement of the body of the pet in responseto at least one of a collision of the vehicle or sudden braking of thevehicle by using the seat belt system. The adjustable coupling member140(1) may comprise a user operable buckle 145(1) to adjust the lengthof the restraint strap 110 a and the securing member 140(2) may comprisea prong 145(2) to couple with the user operable buckle 145(1). Thiscoupling may restrict movement of the torso of the pet in response to animpact force that the vehicle may experience in the event of a collisionor sudden braking.

In one embodiment of the present invention, to provide further safety tothe pet by avoiding severe bodily injury to the pet, the restraintassembly 105 a may further comprise a zipper 150. The zipper 150 mayenable a relatively secure grip of the pet's body by the safety belt 100a in addition to evenly distributing the impact of forces on the body ofthe pet during an accident such as a collision or sudden braking.

Referring to FIG. 2, it schematically illustrates the safety belt 100 aof FIG. 1B for use in a vehicle 200 having a seat belt system includinga first buckle 210(1) and a first prong 210(2) to securely restrain apet (not shown) during a collision of the vehicle 200 and/or suddenbraking of the vehicle 200 consistent with one illustrative embodimentof the present invention. A suitable seat belt system is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,204,334, entitled “Occupant Restraint System” and isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The restraint assembly 105 b further includes an upper restraint strap215(1) being positionable about the body of the pet and positionableadjacent to the pair of fore legs of the pet. The restraint assembly 105b further comprises a lower restraint strap 215(2) being positionableabout the body of the pet and positionable adjacent to the pair of hindlegs of the pet. The restraint strap 110 a being positionable betweenthe upper and lower restraint straps 215(1, 2) on the body of the pet.

Consistent with one embodiment of the present invention, the restraintassembly 105 b further comprises a pair of side straps 220(1,2) forcoupling each of the restraint strap 110 a, upper restraint strap 215(1)and lower restraint strap 215(2) together. Each of the side straps220(1,2) may be coupled to and extend between each of the restraintstrap 110 a, upper restraint strap 215(1) and lower restraint strap215(2). Each of the upper and lower restrainer straps 215(1,2) having afirst end 225(1,2) and a second end 230(1,2) being releasably couplableto each other such that each of the upper and lower restraint straps215(1,2) form a loop having a hole when ends of each of the upper andlower restraint straps 215(1,2) are releasably coupled together. Each ofthe holes of the loops being aligned with each other around a commonaxis 240 when the ends of the each of the upper restraint strap 215(1),lower restraint strap 215(2) and the first 115(1), second strap ends115(2) of the restraint strap 110 a are releasably coupled together.

Referring FIGS. 1B and 2, a first harness portion refers to the lengthof strap between the second seat belt buckle 130(1) and the seat beltprong 130(2). A point marked as “X” between a first harness end (137(1))and a second harness ends (137(2)) is shown to be an intermediate point(138) of the first harness portion. The first harness portion has afirst distance from the intermediate point (138) to the first harnessend (137(1)) and a second distance from the intermediate point (138) tothe second harness end (137(2)).

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, each of the upper and lower restrainerstraps 215(1,2) include a pair of coupling members for coupling each ofthe ends of the upper and lower restraint straps 215(1,2) together. Eachof the pair of coupling members may include a first coupling portioncoupled to the second ends 230(1,2) of the upper and lower restraintstraps 215(1,2) and a second coupling portion coupled to the first ends225(1,2) of the upper and lower restraint straps 215(1,2). The first andsecond coupling portions may be releasably coupled together. Each of thepair of coupling members may comprise a buckle and a prong. Referring toFIG. 1B, in one embodiment, the harness, such as the harness 120 of FIG.1A, is shown here to include a first harness portion as the length ofstrap between the second Seat belt buckle 130(1) and the seat belt prong130(2) thus including the leash 135. A point marked as “X” between thefirst and second harness ends is shown to be an intermediate point ofthe first harness portion. The harness further includes a second harnessportion being the length of strap between the point “X” and a pointwhere the second harness portion couples to the restraint strap 110 a.This point on the restraint strap is called an intermediate point of therestraint stray 110 a. The first harness porting has a first distancefrom the first harness end and a second distance from the second harnessend. The second distance is greater than the first distance. The firstdistance being the length of strap between the first harness end and afirst strap end of the first harness portion, which is being coupled tothe restraint strap 110 a. The second distance being the length of thestrap between the second harness end and a second strap end of the firstharness portion, which is being coupled to the restraint strap 110 a.Likewise, the first and second harness portions and first and seconddistances can be readily also seen in FIG. 2.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the safetybelt 100 a may further comprise a third and fourth buckles 250(1,2) tolatch into a mating third and fourth prongs 255(1,2), respectively. Inthis way, a different type or sizes of the restraint assembly 105 b maybe detachably coupled to a harness 120 a. For example, one type and/orsize of the restraint assembly 105 b may be suited for a first pet suchas dogs and another type and/or size of the restraint assembly 105 b maybe suited for a second pet such as cats.

One example of the safety belt 100 a may be a detachable safety belt foruse in the vehicle 200 with the seat belt system by using the firstbuckle 210(1) and the first prong 210(2) to securely restrain a pet. Thedetachable safety belt may comprise the restraint strap 110 a removablycouplable to the torso of the pet. The restraint strap 110 a may definea cover portion of the restraint strap to wrap around a body portion ofthe pet for restricting movement of the restraint strap 110 a on thetorso of the pet in response to an impact force that the vehicle 200 toexperience during a collision of the vehicle and/or braking of thevehicle 200.

For controllably restraining movement of the body of the pet in responseto the impact force, the harness 120 a may be coupled to the restraintstrap 110 a. The harness 120 a having the second buckle 130(1) and thesecond prong 130(2) may releasably couple to the first prong 210(2) andfirst buckle 210(1) of the seat belt system 205, respectively. Forexample, the second buckle 130(1) may be a vehicle seat belt buckle andthe second prong 130(2) may be a vehicle seat belt prong.

The restraint strap 110 a may comprise a first end and second end beingreleasably couplable to each other such that a third buckle such as theuser operable buckle 145(1) may be coupled to the first end and a matedthird prong such as the prong 145(2) may be coupled to the second endfor releasably coupling together. The third buckle 145(1) may comprise auser operable lever to adjust the length of the restraint strap 110 a.For example, the user operable third buckle 145(1) may be an airplaneseat buckle. A suitable prong and buckle are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,567,629, entitled “Buckle Device,” and is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, therestraint strap 110 a of the safety belt 100 a may further comprise afirst end and a second end such that a third buckle coupled to the firstend and a fourth buckle coupled to the second end. The cover portion ofthe restraint strap 110 a may comprise a third prong and a fourth prongbeing releasably coupled to the third and fourth buckles, respectively.The cover portion of the restraint strap 110 a may comprise a first endand second end to enable a fastening member for fastening the first endof the cover portion to the second end of the cover portion.

Referring to FIG. 3, a stylized representation of a method of enabling asafe and secure environment for a pet within the vehicle 200 shown inFIG. 2 having a seat belt with the seat belt prong 210(2) that latchesinto the seat belt buckle 210(1) is illustrated according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. At block 300, a safe andsecure environment may be enabled for a pet within the vehicle 200 byproviding a seat belt with the seat belt prong 210(2) to latch into theseat belt buckle 210(1). At block 305, the restraint assembly 105 a maybe provided including the restraint strap 110 a removably couplable to abody portion of the pet. The restraint strap 110 a may comprise a firststrap end and a second strap end being releasably couplable to eachother.

At block 310, the harness 120 a that is coupled to the restraintassembly 105 a may be provided such that the harness 120 a is releasablycouplable to the seat belt of the vehicle 200 for flexibly restrainingthe pet. The harness 120 a may include a first harness end and a secondharness end with the first harness end having a second seat belt bucklefor releasably coupling to the first seat belt prong and the secondharness end having a second seat belt prong for releasably coupling tothe first seat belt buckle. In this way, by removably coupling therestraint strap 110 a to the torso of the pet, the pet may be flexiblysecured within the vehicle 200 during either a collision of the vehicle200 or a sudden braking of the vehicle 200 by use of both the ends ofthe seat belt typically provided to operate with the seat belt system.

Consistent with one embodiment of the present invention, each of theupper and lower restraint straps 215(1,2) may comprise a generallyflexible material such as a cloth webbing or leather material orsynthetic nylon type material. Likewise, each of the side straps,restraint strap 110 a, harness 120 a that is coupled to the restraintassembly 105 a may comprise a generally flexible material such as acloth webbing or leather material or synthetic nylon type material. Eachof the prong being removably insertable into the buckle may comprisemetal and/or plastic configured in a manner such that the seat beltprong 210(2) typically latches into the seat belt buckle 210(1).

In use, the restraint assembly 105 b is positioned around the body ofthe pet. The fastening restraint strap 110 a, the upper and lowerrestraint straps 215(1,2) and the side straps may be adjusted to fitaround the body of the pet. Use of both the prong and the buckle of theseat belt with the safety restrainer 100 or the safety belt 100 a mayflexibly restrict movement of the pet around an interior of the vehicle200 in a manner similar to that of human occupants of the vehicle 200during an accident or sudden jerk from braking or otherwise.

Portions of the present invention and corresponding detailed descriptionare presented in terms of software, or algorithms and symbolicrepresentations of operations on data bits within a computer memory.These descriptions and representations are the ones by which those ofordinary skill in the art effectively convey the substance of their workto others of ordinary skill in the art.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

The present invention set forth above is described with reference to theattached figures. Various structures, systems and devices areschematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation onlyand so as to not obscure the present invention with details that arewell known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attacheddrawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples ofthe present invention. The words and phrases used herein should beunderstood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with theunderstanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in therelevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e.,definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning asunderstood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied byconsistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a termor phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning otherthat that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition willbe expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional mannerthat directly and unequivocally provides the special are illustrativeonly, as the invention may be definition for the term or phrase.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as theinvention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalentmanners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of theteachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to thedetails of construction or design herein shown, other than as describedin the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particularembodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all suchvariations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set fourth in the claimsbelow.

1. A detachable safety belt for use in a vehicle with a shoulder/lapbelt combination seat belt system including a first buckle and a firstprong to securely restrain a pet, the detachable safely belt comprising:a restraint strap removably couplable to the torso of the pet, therestraint strap to wrap around a body portion of the pet for restrictingmovement of the restraint strap on the torso of the pet in response toan impact force that the vehicle to experience during at least one of acollision of the vehicle or sudden braking of the vehicle; and a harnesscoupled to the restraint strap, the harness to releasably couple to theseat belt system for controllably restraining movement of the body ofthe pet in response to the impact force, the harness having a secondbuckle and a second prong adapted to releasably couple to the firstprong and first buckle of the shoulder/lap belt combination seat beltsystem respectively, wherein the harness includes a first harnessportion between a first harness end and a second harness end and whereinthe first harness portion has a first distance from the first harnessend and a second distance from the second harness end, and wherein thesecond distance is greater than the first distance, wherein the firstharness portion being the length of strap between the first and secondharness ends, wherein the first distance being the length of strapbetween the first harness end and a first strap end of the first harnessportion, which is being coupled to the restraint strap and the seconddistance being the length of the strap between the second harness endand a second strap end of the first harness portion, which is beingcoupled to the restraint strap.
 2. The detachable safety belt of claim1, wherein the restraint strap comprising: a first end and second endbeing releasably couplable to each other such that a third bucklecoupled to the first end and a third prong coupled to the second end forreleasably coupling together.
 3. The detachable safety belt of claim 2,wherein the third buckle comprises a user operable buckle to adjust thelength of the restraint strap.
 4. The detachable safety belt of claim 3,wherein the user operable buckle is an airplane seat buckle.
 5. Thedetachable safety belt of claim 1, wherein the harness having a secondbuckle and a second prong, the second buckle is a vehicle seat beltbuckle and the second prong is a vehicle seat belt prong.
 6. Thedetachable safety belt of claim 1, wherein the harness having a secondbuckle adapted to releasably couple to the first prong of the seat beltsystem of the vehicle.
 7. The detachable safety belt of claim 1, whereinthe restraint strap comprising a third prong and a fourth prong beingreleasably coupled to the third and fourth buckles, respectively and therestraint strap comprising a first end and a second end such that athird buckle coupled to the first end and a fourth buckle coupled to thesecond end, the restraint strap having a user operable buckle lever toadjust a length of the restraint strap.
 8. The detachable safety belt ofclaim 1, wherein the restraint strap comprises a first end and secondend to enable a fastening member for fastening the first end of thecover portion to the second end of the cover portion.